by Robin Roseau
"Nothing like making an entrance," Nori muttered.
"No one get drunk," Malora added. She wouldn't have had to say anything to this group, but it was good advice.
Then a woman stepped forward. "Amazons," she said warmly. "Greetings. We saved a table for you, here nearest the fire, but if you do not care to be in the center of the room, we can make an adjustment or two." She led the way through the room to the table in question. It wasn't so close to the fire to be uncomfortable, but I was glad when Malora took the warmest place. Then Maya began directing where everyone was to sit, and I found myself seated next to Lia, Tamma's sister, with the girls on her other side. To my left was Nori, and across from me, Badra and Tamma.
"My name is Chardi. What can I get you to drink?" the woman said.
"Chardi," said Maya, "Are you one of the women who help can the fruits and vegetables that Grace sends to us."
She smiled. "I am," she said. "And I'm proud to do it. It's just a few evenings. Lia reads the letters from Tamma, and more from someone named Maya-"
"That would be I," Maya said.
Chardi froze for a moment, then her smile grew. "You're Maya. And that must mean you are Queen Malora!"
Malora inclined her head. "We thank you for the help you give us," Malora said. "It is appreciated."
The woman blushed for a moment, then continued. "Lia reads the letters. And we learn what life is for all of you. We spend a few evenings canning a few vegetables. I wish we could do more."
I saw a tear slide down Maya's cheek. She wiped it away then turned to Malora. I barely heard her, but she said, "It's working. Seventeen years, but it's finally working."
"It takes a long time to change attitudes," Malora told her, and the two cuddled for a moment.
The woman looked flustered. "Did I say something wrong?"
Maya turned back to her. "No, you didn't." She paused. "The eastern villages, the ones that live nearest to us, they, um-"
"They worship the Amazons," Rora offered.
"I wouldn't put it that way," Maya said.
"I would," Rora said firmly.
Maya smiled. "Rora is from Howard's Den, a staunch ally in our fight with the demons. The plains villages are exceedingly supportive. I have spent my entire time as an Amazon waiting to hear what you just said from points further west. My village is on the western coast, and they tithe properly. There is a small pocket in the south that has recently begun tithing properly because several Amazons have retired there. Seventeen years of begging, all over Morehama. Chandri, thank you. I have waited to hear your words."
"Then I am only sorry you have not heard them sooner."
"We received your tithe, and we have appreciated it, but we thought it was the output from your entire village."
"One farm," Chandri said, "and a few gardens, and a number of very determined women. Plus whatever the mills send you."
"Which is also appreciated."
"Well," said Chandri after a moment. "What can I fetch for you?" She took our drink orders, a few asking for beer, more of us wanting only warm cider. She promised to be right back and stepped away.
There was a lull, but then a couple of villagers approached our table, standing at the end near Tamma. "Do you remember us?" the woman asked.
Tamma stood up. "Arla?" she asked. "Geno?" She took hugs from both of them.
"We're sorry about your mother, Tamma," Arla said.
"Thank you," Tamma said. "Everybody, this is Arla. And this rogue is Geno. Geno used to torment me mercilessly. I bet he won't try it now."
Geno laughed. "I'm really sorry about that," he said.
"Hello, Arla, Geno," we said as a group.
Tamma pulled her friends around the table, doing individual introductions. They seemed to be properly impressed being introduced to a queen, and Malora was, as always, gracious.
"It was good for Tamma to come here," Lia said to me. "She told me more about you."
I smiled, but didn't know what to say to that.
"She said you are the best fighter amongst all the Amazons."
"That would be Queen Malora, then Nori. After that, I am good, but I wouldn't claim to be the best."
"But-" she paused. "Queen Malora is old, and you are in your prime."
"Lia," I said directly into her ear. "Queen Malora is the best fighter amongst all the Amazons. I spar with her, and I have never beaten her." Which was true, but we hadn't had an actual bout in a couple of years, and I was giving her a run for her money the last time we fought. "I am sure if Tamma said I was good, she wasn't including either Queen Malora or Nori in her estimations."
"Oh," Lia said. "I'm sorry."
"You've done nothing wrong," I told her. "But it's important you know. I might be as good as Tamma suggests, I may not be. But if it ever comes up, as good as I might be, Queen Malora and Nori are both better."
She looked at me, and I could read confusion. "Um. Do you say that because she is queen? To flatter her?"
"No. Tamma, being that good is how she remains queen."
"I thought... inherited."
"How would that happen? None of us have children. She is from a village on the plains. Maya and I are from the coast. Your children will be the only children in the entire forest. Everyone else is at least thirteen or fourteen."
"Oh." She paused. "I have much to learn."
I smiled. "We'll teach you. It is what we do."
There was an awkward pause, and I said, "I believe I interrupted you. You started to say something. Or ask something perhaps."
"Yes. You're going to be my village chief, at least if we decide to remain."
"I am happy to have you and hope you do."
"Yes. So, I wanted to get to know you a little better. So I can avoid putting my foot in my mouth. More than I have, anyway."
"I'm pretty easy to get along with," I said. "The village turns out every morning and bows to me three times, chanting their pledge of undying obedience. You will need to learn the words. After that, they take turns serving me breakfast while two of them bathe and attend to my feet and two others attend to the nails of my hands. Someone drapes the jewels of my office around my neck. After that, I deal with any disciplinary measures before giving out the orders for the day."
She stared at me. I set my hands on the table so she could see my ragged nails.
"Every day, I also pick one of my subjects as the victim of a prank. Today, it seems that is you."
"What are you telling her?" Maya asked from across the table. "She is positively white."
"I was about to teach her the incantation of obedience," I said. "Lia, repeat after me. I, Lia, will learn that my village chief has a wicked sense of humor, and will learn when my leg is being pulled."
She took one of my hands and looked at the nails. "Your subjects do a very poor job on your nails," she said. "And I admit, you got me."
I grinned.
"So is that your game? Tease the naïve?"
"In my defense, I didn't know you were that naïve. Knowing you are will make this a lot more fun."
She laughed. "And can you tolerate turnabout?"
"No one dares," I said. "It is quite depressing." I put on a sad face.
"Are you so frightening?"
"I didn't think I was," I said. I turned to Nori. "Nori, are you frightened of me?"
"Not hardly," Nori answered with a scoff.
"See?" I said. "Nori isn't frightened of me."
"Nori, the one who is a better warrior than you?"
"Queen Malora, are you frightened of me?" I asked.
She turned to me. "What a silly question. Why would I be frightened of you?"
"Lia was asking if everyone was frightened of me. I've never asked."
"Beria, have you been frightening her, and she is perhaps wondering if you frighten everyone else as well?"
Lia explained the conversation, much to the amusement of everyone on our end of the table. Tamma and Badra were talking to Tamma's friends, so they
weren't there to ask, and of course, everyone else remembered me when I was thirteen.
"No one pranks her because she plays to win," Maya said. "And doesn't know when to quit."
"I remember when she went too far with Omie," Nori said. She turned to Lia. "Omie was her warrior. Do you understand?" Lia nodded. "What was it you did, Beria?"
"Which time?"
Maya snickered. "You know which time, Sister."
"Maybe she shouldn't have slept so soundly!" I said in defense.
"That's the one," said Nori. "She was really mad, Beria."
"It wasn't my fault," I said, suddenly feeling like I was fourteen again. "I wasn't going to leave her like that, but it was that time, and I spent a little longer at the latrine than I had expected."
"What did you do, Beria?" Nori asked.
"I braided her hair."
"She got mad at you for braiding her hair?" Lia asked.
"While she was sleeping."
"So?"
"I braided it around the frame of the bed, and I did it in a way she couldn't reach it to free herself. I was going to wake her up and start a tickle fight."
"Which you might have gotten away with," Nori said, "if her screams hadn't woken most of the village."
"She could have waited quietly for me to get back."
"Right," said Maya.
"What did she do to you?" Maya asked.
"I don't remember," I said.
That was when Malora turned to look at me. "Tell the truth, Beria, or I will be forced to remind you."
"Oh sure, pull rank on me," I said, but I grinned at her. I turned to Lia. "She braided my hair for me."
"Keep going," Malora said.
"She braided sticks into my hair," I added. "She made me collect the sticks myself. Every night before bed she made me clean my hair out so I wasn't poking her with sticks, and every morning she made me go get more sticks for her to braid into my hair. If she wasn't satisfied with what I collected, she went out to get more. I swear, I dragged a tree branch around one day."
"How long did that go on?" Maya asked.
"A month."
"And what did you learn from it?" Malora asked.
"Not to mess too badly with Omie."
Everyone chuckled.
"And to make sure I keep control of my pranks so they don't get out of hand."
"I think that was the more important lesson," Malora said.
"The story isn't over though, is it?" Maya asked me.
"There's more?" Malora said. Maya smiled sweetly.
"I told you that in confidence!" I protested.
"Oh ho," said Malora. "There is more. Do tell, Beria."
"I do this under protest."
"So noted."
I sighed. "This went on for about two weeks, and I knew I had two more weeks of it. I really was sorry. I hadn't intended for it to get out of control, and I apologized to her over and over. But I had a bad day, and I was in a teenage mood."
"Oh, oh," said Nori.
"I didn't DO anything," I said. "I only threatened to."
"What?"
"Cut my hair so she couldn't do it anymore."
Malora, Maya and Nori didn't say anything. I lowered my head. "Omie quietly ordered me to sit, and she cleaned my hair out, every stick, every twig, and then she braided it properly. She didn't say a word while she did it. When she finished, she put her hands on my shoulders, still standing behind me, and said, 'You were the one who let a prank get that far out of hand. Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was? But I knew that wasn't your intention, so I came up with an amusing punishment, but one you would remember. I can't believe how much you want to hurt me.' And then she walked out and wouldn't talk to me for two days. She could have cut my heart out, and it wouldn't have hurt more. On the third day, I came to her with the biggest pile of sticks you can imagine and I begged her to forgive me." I paused. "I never again complained about a punishment."
"And so," said Malora quietly, "two lessons learned."
I nodded.
From my other side, Lia said, "I don't understand. Why would cutting your hair have been so traumatic to your warrior?"
I turned back to her. "It is because of what a companion does for her warrior. Omie loved to run her fingers through my hair. I didn't understand at the time, but it is extremely soothing. She would take her time braiding my hair, washing my hair, anything to do with my hair. By threatening to cut it, I was telling her that I didn't want to soothe her soul anymore."
"You still wear your hair long," Lia observed.
"I've thought about cutting it. It would be easier, especially as I have no companion to help care for it. But every time I think of putting a knife to it, I remember the look in Omie's eyes, and I just can't do it."
"Wow," Lia said.
"I worshipped her by then. I've been a warrior for eight years, eight years we've been apart, and I still worship her."
"You always will," Nori said quietly.
"Beria," Maya said gently, "what you may not know is that when she left you, she came to me in tears, worried she'd pushed you too far. She was afraid she'd destroyed your relationship."
"Oh no. She couldn't possibly have thought that."
"She didn't know what to do."
"What did you tell her?"
"To wait you out," Maya said. "I knew you'd come to your senses."
I thought about it. "Thank you. I did."
"Yes," she said. "You did."
I turned back to Lia. "So now I don't let pranks get out of hand."
"Good advice."
I grinned. "I still prank Omie though, whenever I stop by Queen's Town, if I can."
Lia smiled. "How?"
"Usually spiders. She hates spiders. Sometimes I make a fake one and leave it where she'll find it, hopefully somewhere surprising."
"That's kind of mean."
"If she knows I've been in the village, she sends Aren in to figure out what I've done. Aren is her new companion and, frustratingly enough, does not have a spider phobia."
Maya scoffed. "New companion. Seven years."
"Yeah, well," I said. "I was her first."
I turned back to Lia. "So, I think you've just learned a lot more about me than I intended to share." She laughed. "So it's your turn."
"Well," she said, "I will have you know that I do not have a spider phobia, so you can put that thought right out of your head."
"Said everyone, ever, who was trying to prevent an influx of spider-based pranks."
Lia shrugged.
"Hmm," I said.
"I hope my lack of reaction will severely disappoint you," she said.
"So," I said. "No spider phobia."
"Nope. Let’s see. I am two years older than Tamma. I'm a mother and, at least some seem to believe, a good cook."
"Dinner last night was very good," I said.
"Thank you. What else do you want to know?"
"Hmm. Tell me three good things about you and one that maybe isn't so good."
"Oh you think so?" She smiled. "All right. I can juggle. It may be the only frivolous skill I have."
"Will you show us?"
"Maybe later. I have never pulled a prank."
"Never?"
"Never."
"So that's the bad thing?"
"You'll have to decide for yourself. And, let's see. I can hold my breath for a very long time."
"Oh, you can, can you?" I asked with a grin. "That can be useful."
"I haven't found it very useful."
"We swim a lot. Can you swim?"
"Ah, there's my bad thing then. I can't swim."
"Then we'll teach you," I promised. "We taught Rora and her daughter."
She cocked her head. "I thought you said none of you had children."
"I misspoke. Rora came to us as an adult with an eleven-year-old daughter. She became Nori's companion, and then some time later, when I needed a companion, her daughter became mine. She has been a warrior now for sever
al years and lives in Queen's Town. She must be, hmm. Twenty now, I think."
From her other side, Annalise tugged on Lia's arm. "Mama, I'm hungry."
"Oh darling," Lia said, turning to her. "I'm sorry. The food would be out soon."
"There's bread," the girl said, pointing. "And honey."
"A small piece," Lia said. "And I will help you with the honey, but you will have sticky fingers, and you will need to wash them immediately after dinner before you touch anything."
"Yes, Mama," the girl said.
I watched as she retrieved bread for her daughters. She poured honey for her youngest then asked the eldest what she would like.
"Honey, too," the girl said. "I can pour it, Mama."
"All right, Joelle," Lia said, "but you will also wash your hands immediately after dinner."
"Yes, Mama."
Lia watched her eldest as the girl very carefully added honey to her bread. She was not lavish, but she was very, very thorough.
"Mama," said the youngest. "You missed a spot." She pointed to a bare portion of her bread.
"Joelle, would you like to help your sister?"
"Yes, Mama," the girl said, then she was just as meticulous with her sister's bread as she had been with her own.
I was impressed. This boded well for the tranquility of Lake Juna. When Lia turned back to me, I smiled. "I can say something else about you."
"Do tell."
"You're a good mother."
She smiled. "Don't let their behavior fool you. They adore their aunt, and they are on their best behavior." She frowned. "They do not, however, adore their uncle's wife. I told them if they were very, very good, the Amazons would let us take a trip with them. They realized that meant time away from Zora's tongue."
"Will you need to take them home immediately after dinner?"
"I thought I was going to need to, but Zora actually volunteered to retrieve them so I could stay. Your 'diplomacy' has temporarily put some sugar into her mouth. I have no illusion it would last, but I would not mind leaving on better terms than I had feared." She smiled. "By the way, thank you. For years, I've wanted to tell her everything you told her, but I wasn't brave enough. I've tried to keep the peace instead."
"Your position was more precarious than mine, and I also had the knowledge that she's not in a position to cause you venomous harm after we leave and you no longer have nine fearsome warriors protecting you."
